Never Meant To Be
by xrogue23
Summary: A random fic. An unusual affection. R


Just a little very, very, very random story I made up when lying in bed waiting for sleep to come. Heh heh. Just a crazy little idea that I came up.

Out of character? Impossible? Totally stupid and dumb? It's supposed to be RANDOM.

May contain spoiler for my still ongoing fiction (yes, it's still not given up on yet), that's why it's normal to not understand a few stuff (who is the old lady??). Just thought these two would be nice together... Mwahaha!

And I don't own anything, the characters in this fiction, swords or blood.

_Rigardo's POV_

Rigardo pushed through the annoying and slightly dense forest, feeling a little, just _a little, _frustrated. It was slowing down his pace, for it did not give him a straight path to his destination.

During normal days, he was not one to fall prey so easily to these humanoid emotions. He had to serve has Isley's right hand man, therefore Rigardo had to keep his quiet and strong attitude in order to command respect among the lowly awakened beings beneath him.

But not today.

The old lady, the one who had brought _her _into his life, the one who forced his locked and rusted gates that he closed on his human affections open for _her_, had just delivered to him the news he had always feared.

The moment he thought about _her_, various emotions threatened to overwhelm his heart. Worry, fear, doubt and annoyance. How could he let these feelings take over his being again?

But his thoughts were cut short when he reached the end of the forest and stepped out onto the cliff facing toward a mountain range. Cold wind blew across his face, and a knot formed in his stomach, when he found who he was looking for.

The moonlight shone off the elegant white hair, a pointed, elf-like ear was visible from the curtain of hair. Her body was lying on the ground, her cloak was slightly spread open and he saw it stained red. Her back was facing Rigardo, but he could still make out slightly labored breathing from where he was standing. And the slowly spreading pool of blood around her body.

Dropping his calm façade altogether, he half-jogged towards her and reached out to cradle her head in his arm.

_Irene's POV_

'Stupid,' Irene thought feebly, 'why'd you have to dodge the blow? It would have ended your life faster… and saved you from this misery.'

Irene took in short and painful breaths, each inhale and exhale accompanied by a sharp lance of pain from her chest to her whole body. She could feel the torn muscles across her chest where Rafaela's sword had cut her. Her executor did not feel the need to give her anymore gifts, and just left Irene there to die.

'Why am I not dead yet? I…' As the pain worsened, Irene closed her eyes and prayed for death to come and take her away… until she heard footsteps from behind her.

Slowly, Irene felt her head being lifted from ground and held by a strong, steady arm. With dread, she opened her eyes weakly, and found herself staring up at another pair of silver eyes.

But these belonged to a man, and confusion took over her brain. Well, as much as it can take over with the pain from the injury conquering a larger part of her mind.

_Rigardo's POV_

As he held her, Rigardo saw the mild confusion in her eyes then turned his attention to the deep and death inducing wound she had across her chest. Irene's healing process was going on very slowly, as if she was willing it not to come into action. His first instinct was to save her, of course. Without anymore hesitation, he aligned his yoki with Irene's, and focused on the healing of her wound. Though he could help her fix the flesh back, the amount of blood she had lost would make her chances of survival slim.

What if Rigardo made her drink his blood? No, stupid idea. She's a warrior and still had the human part of her left, not an awakened being or a vampire. Awaken her? Rigardo mentally slapped himself for even thinking about that. Irene would hate him forever if he did that… his feelings for her would prevent him from turning her into a monster, anyway. What about directly transferring his blood into her body? A feasible idea, but-

Just then, he felt the weak resistance that Irene put up against his yoki alignment. Feeling a little surprised, he turned his gaze to her face. His heart twisted, when he saw her weakly pleading look.

_Irene's POV_

He… has yoki? Irene felt him aligning his yoki with hers, in an attempt to close up her injury.

'No,' Irene screamed mentally. 'No! Don't heal me. I want to leave this world… don't let me live longer in this god-forsaken world… Don't let me remember Teresa's death every minute of my life… Please!'

She stared into his eyes, willing him to stop, but he was not getting the hint.

Irene neared desperation. In agony, she managed to open her mouth and say softly, 'Please…' With every breath she took to speak, pain and despair threatened to drown all other emotions. 'Please… let me die…' A single tear escaped her eye, and trickled down.

_Rigardo's POV_

Rigardo's heart leapt, when he heard her voice pleading for death, followed by the tear that fell from her eye. Obediently, and reluctantly, he forced himself to stop.

Why? Why is he not trying to save her, but letting her die as she wished? Perhaps it was the understanding of her life, as a person who was despised by normal humans, or it was simply the need to let her feel contented before she went?

Seeing her in so much pain, Rigardo couldn't take it. He held her closer, trying to bring warmth back to her body, which was rapidly losing warmth.

'W-who… are y-you…' he heard her fragile voice coming from her lips. Should he tell her? Should he lie? But she had already seen his non-human, silver eyes and was on the brink of death. 'Names and identities don't really matter now, do they?' Rigardo thought.

'Rigardo.' He replied her question softly, feeling a surprised at how… gentle his voice sounded.

With just a tinge of amusement, he observed her reaction.

_Irene's POV_

Irene took in a small, sharp inhale of shock. That name, of course she'll recognize it. All the trainees in the organization were taught about awakened beings. Luciela of the South. Riful of the West and her lover, Dauf. Isley of the North and his lieutenant, Silver-Eyed Lion King, Rigardo.

The person in front of her, the person cradling her in his arms, was the most bloodthirsty in Isley's army of awakened beings, Rigardo.

'Am I… hallucinating?' Irene was unable to believe the situation she was in. How could a superior being like him, being kneeling down with her, waiting for her doom? Was he intending to make her awaken? But he has not made any threatening moves… yet.

Irene choked out, 'Why… are- y-you here?' With the last word, her chest gave such a large throb of pain, that she reared up slightly, gritted her teeth and felt blood trickling out of her mouth. Irene closed her eyes, trying to accept the pain wrecking her whole body.

Rigardo held her even more tightly. It was then she realized her body was so icy cold… the warmth that he provided was now considered welcoming.

_Rigardo's POV_

Irene was just a hair breadth's away from death, and his heart wrenched when he saw her suffer even more obviously.

Was he going to let her die, just like that? Did she know how he felt for her?

His feelings threatened to burst through the dam in his heart. He'd watch over Irene for so long, made so many trips to this far away piece of land just to check on her. Now he was just going to let her die, in his arms, without him doing anything?

No, she should have at least thought of that possibility hasn't she? At that moment, he could have willingly traded anything to lengthen the time he had with her.

He gazed at her face, committing each and every feature of her to his memory. This would be the last time he could see Irene, the one who really made his human affection awaken again.

Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned in closer to her, and placed his lips over her pale, deathly cold ones.

_Irene's POV_

Her eyes snapped open, as far and as fast as she could manage.

She had been lying calmly, as the feeling of death slowly took over, when she felt something warm rest on her lips.

Irene's heart jumped, realizing what has just happened. Never, not once, in her whole life, did she think this could happen to her. As a warrior, she did not expect these types of things to occur. But it was.

'_Fate follows its own plans.'_

She thought about what she had just said earlier. This must the cruel irony of fate.

Feeling the life ebb out of her, Irene closed her eyes once again, appreciating the warmth of Rigardo on her cold, almost lifeless skin.

A moment passed, and the last breath Irene was holding in her body, finally left her.

_Rigardo's POV_

He felt her give one last, soft exhale and he parted from her. Rigardo observed Irene, half-expecting her to suddenly grow warm and start breathing again. But she did not.

Rigardo let his loss sink in. A sudden rush of hatred towards fate, towards everything. Then it was replaced just as quickly by a sense of emptiness. The empty void that Irene had left.

'Damn it…'


End file.
